Fittler’s big call to make minor premiership major prize

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 01: Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend of the Roosters pose with the J.J. Giltinan Shield for winning the minor premiership during the round 25 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Under the current rules, the Sydney Roosters will pocket $100,000 for finishing in first place at the end of the home-and-away season.

But Fittler’s idea would not reward the teams financially, but rather increase their personel spendings, which would help clubs retain their best players.

“The thing that matters most to clubs is salary cap spending, and the thing I would do is allow for the minor premiers to have half a million or a million dollars salary cap exemption,” Fittler told Channel 9 on Sunday.

“Because you come first what happens is all your players become more valuable to other clubs, so you don’t have the ability to keep them at your club.

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“If you give them an exemption — a million dollars, $500,000 — all of a sudden your good players could stay at the club.”

NRL legend Peter Sterling also agreed that the prizemoney is not a sufficient prize to reward clubs for finishing on top.

“We’ve been talking about this for a while, that there’s not due recognition for the team that is in front after what is a very tough 25 rounds,” Sterling said.

“It’s been $100,000 for as long as I can remember. I don’t know where a million dollars would come from, but I think the fact Melbourne rested players this weekend shows first or second didn’t mean that much difference to them.”

8 COMMENTS

I disagree with the idea that the minor premiers get an increased cap.
There is clearly a huge difference between TPA availability between clubs, and that in itself provides an advantage, without providing those clubs (more often than not) with additional salary cap.
That said, I agree they should provide a greater incentive for the minor premier.
What about paying that team’s players $1k per game they played throughout the year, obviously as a lump sum at the end of the regular season? 17 players per game x 24 games = approx $400k, and an amount to the club ($200k – $300k).
Obviously the actual amounts could be tweaked, but the concept would provide the club, and players incentive / reward.

The prize should be roughly 400k. For coming first in the Aukland 9’s you get $370,000. Surely teams should get more for the Minor Premiership?!?! But I agree, definitely not an increased cap, clubs should spend money on better resources and training equipment.

Definitely need to increase the prize money, but not as a cap exemption. Like it or not, pressure to keep players is the price that comes with success when a cap is involved. The good clubs know what players to keep and which ones they can let go. Also, a one year cap exemption will only encourage teams to front end contracts of players, which in effect gives them an advantage for a number of years by creating cap space in future years.

I applaud Fittler for trying to think outside the box, but he is way off on this one I think.

Nice move by Freddie but it’s only because he knows that the J.J. Giltinan Shield is the ONLY trophy that the Roosters will lift in 2018. Just like in 2014 when the Bunnies belted and the plucked chooks in the 1st Preliminary Final! The score should have been 32 – 12 as Souths stopped playing 2 mins from full time and gifted the Roosters 2 late soft tries so “Mini-mouse” could retire with the hint of a smile. Nice gestire I thought.

I was there and it was beautiful old chook. Were you there too crying Woody? There was a sea of Roosters “TRY!!” signs lying strewn on the ground all around the stadium and a conga line of Roosters supporters passing around the Kleenex tissues as they filed out of the ground. Oh, good times! Good times! And they are here again old chum. If both teams do happen to meet up in another Preliminary Final let’s meet up and go to the game. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the Kleenex. Bahahahahahahahahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣